“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

– Margaret Mead

Meet Joe Sadowski, one of the BLPA’s founding members in 1972.

Photo/Story: Metro Vancouver “Humans of Regional Parks”

“In the late 1960s, Burnaby was running into problems with disposal of garbage. So the idea was that they would use this area as a garbage dump. Our group became very active politically; our plan was to preserve this lake. Our group became known as the Burnaby Lake Park Association. I’ve been volunteering in this park for about 45 years. It makes me feel good to see how the park is being used. I could not imagine it being a garbage dump. It is a very pleasant surprise to see the number of people using it.”

An invitation to a special event to discover more

Learn about the community activists who worked to clean up and preserve the aquatic environment of Burnaby Lake. Community members are invited to bring their own stories and memories to share. This talk is presented by Rebeca Salas. Rebeca Salas is a museum registrar at the Burnaby Village Museum. As an MA candidate in geography at Simon Fraser University, Rebeca is interested in the relationship between memory and place.

It’s hard to believe it’s September already and the unofficial start to Fall. We have the dates of our stewardship activities here including our two EcoBlitzes in October. We’ll add details to our listings in our Event Calendar as we find out more. If you have any specific questions or are thinking about bringing your community or corporate group, please contact Ann, our Volunteer Coordinator at info@burnabylakepark.ca. If you can RSVP, it will be helpful to us to plan for snacks and equipment.

Fed by Still Creek and drained by the Brunette River, Burnaby Lake is truly the heart of the city. Both the lake and the Central Valley are the products of glacial erosion during the Pleistocene epoch. Wildlife watchers will want to keep an eye out for great blue herons, northern flying squirrels, Pacific tree frogs, pied-billed grebes, red-winged blackbirds and western painted turtles.

On foot: Make the most of your visit to Burnaby Lake Regional Park by circumnavigating its centrepiece. Points of interest on the 10-kilometre Burnaby Lake loop include Cariboo Dam and the Piper Spit boardwalk and viewing tower.

By transit: To access the loop from the Sperling-Burnaby Lake station, cross the pedestrian overpass, walk south to Sperling Avenue and enter the park.

Stephen Hui is the author of 105 Hikes In and Around Southwestern British Columbia, which will be published by Greystone Books in 2018. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram: @StephenHui.

SAVE THE DATE!
Sunday, June 10 for WILD ABOUT BURNABY LAKE!
Learn how to bring more nature to your life right in the middle of the city! So mark your calendars: 12-4 pm. More information to come. pic.twitter.com/xQ60jrQecr